Three blood-red swords simultaneously pierced through Newgate's shoulders from behind—those fallen warriors who had tumbled into the crevices had somehow reassembled themselves and launched a sneak attack!
Newgate grunted, shattering the ambushers with a backhanded strike, but Rhett had already vanished back into the mist.
Newgate had lost all sense of time.
The blood moon still hung high in the sky, and he couldn't even remember how many warriors he'd slain. His breathing had grown ragged. Beneath his feet lay countless warrior remains, but the erosion of the blood mist was slowing his movements.
"You little brat..." Newgate wiped blood from his lips. "This move of yours is a bottomless pit."
Rhett's voice carried exhaustion, panting heavily. The right move now would be to expand the mist's range to absorb energy from elsewhere, but my allies surround me—no fuel to be had. Maintaining this massive illusion, even with the Blue Buff and Newgate's energy, wasn't enough. Newgate was being stingy with his output.
Rhett—the number one bastard of the Pirate King era—still managed a mocking tone: "What? Uncle Newgate, is the World's Strongest Man afraid of a little stamina drain?"
"Afraid?" Newgate suddenly erupted, his naginata wreathed in Conqueror's Haki and the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit as he slashed repeatedly at the void. "Sky Splitter: Frenzied Dance!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
The sky shattered like broken glass, the blood moon fracturing into pieces. The entire Blood Prison world began collapsing—but just as Newgate thought he'd broken free—
"CRASH!"
The scene abruptly shifted. He now stood upon a vast ocean of blood, Rhett striding across the waves with a towering crimson tide at his back.
"If I let you break it that easily, I'd be out of a job." Rhett pointed his sword at Newgate, chest heaving visibly. "Come on, let's keep going."
Newgate finally showed a change in expression, his lips twitching. "This damned place... has no 'end'?"
The blood sea boiled as Newgate slaughtered mindlessly, his white cape now dyed deep crimson. Kneeling on a wave crest, his Murakumogiri planted before him—
"Gurararara..." He suddenly chuckled darkly. "Brat, I've noticed something interesting."
Rhett's figure emerged from the blood waves: "Oh?"
Every extra word feels like a burden, Rhett thought. Right now, I'd love to sink my teeth into this old man. Stab him full of straws—thicker ones, these aren't enough!
"Your 'Blood Prison Canvas'..." Newgate slowly rose, battle flames igniting in his eyes. "Isn't an illusion as I understood it. You didn't just drag me into your world—you've been influencing my thoughts this whole time. Unless I'm mistaken, I've been slashing at empty air?"
Rhett's pupils constricted slightly.
"That first strike when we clashed..." Newgate touched the wound on his calf. "Was the real 'key' that pulled me into this world. The more wounds I take, the more real your illusion becomes. Am I wrong, brat?"
Before Rhett could respond, Newgate unleashed an unprecedented surge of Haki. The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit no longer spread outward—it compressed entirely into his naginata!
"Let me show you... what 'World's Strongest' truly means!"
"Divine Quake!"
The naginata cleaved pure spatial fissures! After fighting this long, to still unleash such power—Newgate was going all out.
The Blood Prison tore apart like a shredded painting. Rhett's sword halted just before striking Whitebeard—now interrupted, the man would become a battle-damaged version again.
Both men collapsed simultaneously on a desolate island, the surroundings reduced to ruins by their clash.
Newgate lay on the ground: "Gurararara! What a fight!"
Rhett sprawled motionless, unable to even twitch a finger: "Old man... you saw through it long ago?"
"Time was distorted inside. I noticed your first strike was clearly stronger than the next two—meaning you had to land that initial hit." Newgate sat up, breathing heavily. "But breaking free required a charged attack. Honestly, I wasn't sure I could cleave through—your move is downright vicious!"
"But I lost, no shame in admitting it. At the end, you held back, didn't you?"
"Seems I still need improvements."
The two men turned their heads, locking eyes as if reaching an understanding.
"Boys! Start the feast!"
At the banquet, bonfires crackled as the aroma of alcohol and roasted meat filled the desolate island. Whitebeard Pirates and zombies bustled about, hauling barrels of fine liquor and freshly grilled sea king meat.
Marco and Stella tended to Whitebeard and Rhett's wounds.
True to his nickname "Mother Bird," Marco couldn't help muttering while healing: "You two, at your age, still brawling like teenagers..."
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed, patting his pineapple-headed son. "See that? That kid was raised personally by Roger—a real monster! One day he'll surpass Roger. I'm lucky—getting to fight him at my peak! Pity the brat hasn't reached his yet."
Meanwhile, Stella wiped blood from Rhett's face with a damp cloth, her Heal-Heal Fruit mending his injuries.
Tesoro stood by holding a bowl of soup, shaking his head helplessly: "Captain, if you put this much energy into paperwork—"
"Tesoro, I beg you, spare me!" Rhett clutched his head, shaking it wildly. "I can't even hold a spoon right now, and you're talking about documents? Are you Satan?!"
Perona floated nearby, starry-eyed: "Rhett-sama is so amazing!"
Whitey Bay sipped red wine elegantly, smiling. "But that final 'Divine Quake' was spectacular. Father still came out on top."
Perona hovered mid-air: "Eh Rhett-sama can still sit up and eat apples"
Whitey Bay chuckled lightly: "Little sister, Father is sitting up drinking too."
"Mmm..." Perona puffed her cheeks like a steamed bun, floating to Rhett's side. "Rhett-sama, she says you lost!"
Rhett and Whitebeard watched the two women argue over such trivialities.
Rhett reached up to ruffle Perona's hair: "Silly girl, there'll be plenty more chances to fight Whitebeard."
Thatch opportunely approached with a platter of grilled meat: "Ladies, care to try my special barbecue? Fresh off the grill~"
Rhett flicked a wisp of blood mist at Thatch, which dissipated instantly.
Thatch thought Rhett was joking: "This is for the ladies, Mr. Rhett. Don't rush—yours is coming right up. Guaranteed delicious~"
Rhett smiled at him.
Whitey Bay accepted the plate politely: "Thank you, it smells wonderful."
Perona floated over to the barbecue, eyes sparkling: "Wow! There's little skull decorations—so cute!"
Thatch winked proudly: "Carved from white radishes, specially for the lovely lady~"
In the distance, Izo and Tesoro clinked glasses.
"Big Bro Rhett... is truly insane," Izo remarked.
Tesoro smirked: "Takes one to know one."
Under the bonfire's glow, the crews of both ships gradually mingled as one.